Group 14 Metal Terminal Phosphides: Correlating Structure with |J(MP)|

A series of heavier group 14 element, terminal phosphide complexes, M(BDI)(PR(2)) (M = Ge, Sn, Pb; BDI = CH{(CH(3))CN-2,6-iPr(2)C(6)H(3)}(2); R = Ph, Cy, SiMe(3)) have been synthesized. Two different conformations (endo and exo) are observed in the solid-state; the complexes with an endo conformation have a planar coordination geometry at phosphorus (M = Ge, Sn; R = SiMe(3)) whereas the complexes possessing an exo conformation have a pyramidal geometry at phosphorus. Solution-state NMR studies reveal through-space scalar coupling between the tin and the isopropyl groups on the N-aryl moiety of the BDI ligand, with endo and exo exhibiting different J(SnC) values. The magnitudes of the tin-phosphorus and lead-phosphorus coupling constants, |J(SnP)| and |J(PbP)|, differ significantly depending upon the hybridization of the phosphorus atom. For Sn(BDI)(P{SiMe(3)}(2)), |J(SnP)| is the largest reported in the literature, surpassing values attributed to compounds with tin-phosphorus multiple-bonds. Low temperature NMR studies of Pb(BDI)(P{SiMe(3)}(2)) show two species with vastly different |J(PbP)| values, interpreted as belonging to the endo and exo conformations, with sp(2)- and sp(3)-hybridized phosphorus, respectively.     

Cysteine-reactive polymers synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization for conjugation to proteins

In this communication we report a strategy for the synthesis of semitelechelic polymers reactive to cysteines. An initiator modified with a pyridyl disulfide was prepared and used for the CuBr/2,2'-bipyridine-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. Polydispersity indices (M(w)/M(n)) of the polymers with different molecular weights were 1.25 or less. The pyridyl disulfide end group was preserved during the polymerization and allowed direct conjugation of the polymer to cysteine residues of bovine serum albumin. The described method provides a general way for the preparation of protein-polymer conjugates through a reversible disulfide bond without the need for postsynthesis modification of the polymers.